August 31, 2004

In LA, Everyone's Unique (In The Same Way)

Gee, good thing I added the "parent company" category; it'll give me a place to post the birth announcement of every stylist/graphic designer/publicist/musician/freelancer in Southern California.

Apparently, it's the law that when you have a kid in LA, you start your own t-shirt line because there is nothing "cool enough" or "unique enough" for your little fashionplate. And thanks to American Apparel, the only thing easier than whipping up some t-shirts [*cough* daddy type *cough*] is starting a website. [*cough*].

In an article on "punk-rock moms," Contra Costa Times plugs at least 16 of these kid-inspired "cottage industries," but links to other hip companies sprawl in every direction and quickly blur together, much like LA itself.

But don't be intimidated. If you believe that nothing expresses your (oh, sorry, your kid's) individuality better than a t-shirt, just start surf-shopping until you find something you thought was cool in high school.

Punk-rock moms create fashion tots drool over [16 starting off points, originally an LA Times article]Grometville, the cutey cute Silver Lake baby store where the article was writtenMetal Babies [best baby-T: "2 minutes to bedtime"]
Mod Target T-shirt [at Townsend, who also sells "Hendrix," "Lennon," and "Manilow" T's. OK, I made that last one up.]
Cutey cute cute little tattoo t-shirts [at Born Lucky (ie., lucky your mom's a graphic designer, who's now home all day and hasn't slept more than two hours at a stretch for the last three months...)]Punky Moms [site owner has pink hair, but may be named after Punky Brewster. Lots of links.]
80's skater/surfer bodysuits and T's, [at Fooey USA]
80's punk concert flyers from Orange County bodysuits [at Mini Maniacs, this one gets its own post.]